How to draft a detailed cost estimate with a BIM software

How to draft a detailed cost estimate with a BIM software

How to draft a detailed cost estimate with project entities defined in an architectural BIM design software.

One of the major advantages of using a BIM software is that you can easily produce the project’s architectural drawings, its construction documents and also get precise measurement data in order to prepare a detailed Bill of Quantities for the entire project.

In this article we’ll be taking a look at how to assign Edificius BIM entities with Price Book items and then see how easy it is to get automated construction documents that read all the information directly from the architectural design. Dynamic entity linking, allows the project’s design team to produce continuously updated documents so that every time a variation is introduced to the architectural model, the BoQ data and the project’s total cost is automatically re-aligned and updated.

This is the BIM revolution and how an inter-disciplinary approach can increase productivity and drastically reduce errors. Thanks to the integration with PriMus, the ACCA software solution for construction estimating, all cost estimating issues are taken care of with great professionalism and reliability.

PriMus is an integrated software solution with online services, applications and data that can offer the utmost in terms of productivity, power and freedom. Thanks to the ability to dynamically link up with CAD drawing entities and interact with BIM software by means of the IFC standard, PriMus definitely represents the new frontier of software in the world of construction cost management and estimating.

Generating a cost estimate from drawn entities

To access the Cost Estimating environment, simply select the relating tab at the bottom left hand side within the Edificius Interface.

Estimate section – entity selection in Edificius

Select the entity to account for and open a reference PriceBook from which to choose a rate to associate with the selected BIM model entity.

Opening a Price List in Edificius

At this point a simple Drag and Drop of the Price Book item over to the BoQ box on the right, opens the editor.

Drag & Drop item editor Edificius

Measurement models in Edificius

In this dialogue box, the operator simply completes the Measurement Model form with variables (specifically related to the selected BIM model entity, for example, length, width, height, volume, surface, etc.).